Emergency release coupler

ABSTRACT

An emergency release device for a railway car coupler embodying shear bolts connecting two adjacent load-carrying members of the coupler, the load-carrying members being movable relative to each other upon shearing of the shear bolts. One of the load-carrying members is provided with grooves adjacent the openings for the shear bolts and the other load-carrying member to prevent jamming of the shear bolts or damage to the members after shearing.

United States Patent Faverty 213/62 UX Holmes r 213/62 UX Larsson. 213/62 Larsson. 213/62 Herbert 213/62 Frill et al. 213/62 Primary ExaminerDrayt0n E. Hoffman Attorney-Bosworth, Sessions, Herrstrom & Cain ABSTRACT: An emergency release device for a railway car coupler embodying shear bolts connecting two adjacent loadcarrying members of the coupler, the loadcarrying members being movable relative to each other upon shearing of the shear bolts. One of the load-carrying members is provided with grooves adjacent the openings for the shear bolts and the other load-carrying member to prevent jamming of the shear bolts or damage to the members after shearing.

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INVENTOR. DONALD L. HERBERT BY r a I M w l v q, fag/ 2% w w A TTORNE Y5 PATENIEBIJEI slsm 3510 434 sum 2 or 3 4 INVENTOR.

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37 III INVENTOR. DONALD 1.; HERBERT BY ATTORNEYS EMERGENCY RELEASE COUPLER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to railway car couplers having emergency release mechanism and more particularly to a shear bolt arrangement for the emergency release mechanism.

A shear bolt arrangement of general type to which this invention pertains is shown in the Larsson U.S. Pat. No. 2,802,581. In my U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,214 I have disclosed a shear bolt arrangement with means for facilitating removal of partially sheared bolts. In the devices of these patents a slide member is held in place in the coupler casing by a plurality of shear bolts extending through the casing and into the slide member. The slide member provides a base for the coupler draft mechanism. The buffing forces exerted on the coupler are transmitted to the coupler casing through the draft mechanism and the slide member and in the event that the buffing forces are excessive the shear bolts will be sheared, permitting the slide member to move with respect to the easing and thereby minimize the likelihood of damage of couplers, car underframes and cars.

While these assemblies are effective in minimizing damage to the cars, difficulties have been experienced in removing the sheared bolts and in reassembling the couplers because the sheared ends of the bolts sometimes jam between or damage the interior of the coupler casing or the exterior of the slide ring or both, making removal and reassembly difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved emergency release mechanism particularly adapted for railway couplers. Another object is to provide a shear bolt arrangement for an emergency release mechanism that facilitates reassembly of the mechanism after the bolt has been sheared. A further object is to provide a shear bolt arrangement for an emergency release mechanism that reduces chance of damage to adjacent parts when the bolts are sheared.

This invention contemplates a shear bolt assembly for joining two adjacent load-carrying members that are relatively movable in the sense that the bolt or bolts are designed to shear under excessive loads, permitting relative movement between the members. Openings for the shear bolts are provided in each of the load-carrying members in alignment with each other and at least one of the members is provided with a groove adjacent the opening and adjacent the other load-carrying member in order to prevent jamming or damage to adjacent areas of the members in the event the bolt or bolts are sheared, thereby reducing or eliminating difficulties heretofore encountered in reassembling the parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view with a portion shown in section taken on a plane 45 from the vertical, of a coupler bar and draft mechanism embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, to an enlarged scale, along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; 1

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view, to an enlarged scale, along the line 3--3 of FIG. 2 and showing an intact shear bolt;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating the shear bolt after it has been sheared;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating another embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view, to an enlarged scale, along the line 66 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a housing having an integral drawbar ll affixed in known manner to a railway vehicle (not shown) by a flange 12 engag ing a sector bar (not shown) and a pivot member 13 engaging an anchor (not shown). The housing. 10 is conventional and includes a hollow cylindrical portion 14 receiving in conventional manner a coupler bar 15 and draft mechanism 16. The coupler bar 15 is adapted to support a coupler (not shown) in known manner.

In order to provide for movement of the coupler and coupler bar 15 during draft and buffing movement, the coupler barv 15 is arranged to slide within the hollow portion 14 in which it is supported by two bearing members 17 and 18. The coupler bar 15 is formed with a forward portion 20 of relative larger diameter than a stem 21 and the end of the forward portion 20 adjacent the stem 21 forms a peripheral shoulder 22. The forward portion 20 is carried in the front bearing member 17 which has a forwardly extending portion 23 to provide an extended bearing surface for the coupler bar 15. A collar 24 is threaded onto the end 25 of the stem 21 and the collar is secured by a pin 26. The collar 24 is supported by the rear bearing member 18.

The draft and buffing forces are transmitted between the housing 10 of the railway vehicle coupler and the coupler bar 15 by means of the draft mechanism 16 which is held between the bearing members 17 and 18, the rear bearing member 18 also forming part of the emergency release mechanism as explained below. The draft mechanism 16 comprises a cushioning means made up of a plurality of flat annular pieces of resilient rubberlike material 27 with interdisposed metallic members 28, and annular metallic end members 30 and 31. The end member 30 is engaged by the shoulder 22 of the coupler bar 15 and the end member 31 is engaged by the collar 24 and the bearing member 18. Draft forces are transmitted from the coupler bar 15 through the collar 24, end member 31 and the resilient members 27 to the end member 30 and the front bearing member 17, thence through the housing 10 and the drawbar 11 to the frame of the car. Conversely, buffing forces are transmitted by the coupler bar 15 from the shoulder 22, through the end member 30, the resilient members 27, the end member 31 and the rear bearing member 18, thence through the housing 10 and the drawbar 11 to the frame of the car. Thus the bearing members 17 and 18 constitute backing means for the cushioning means under draft and buffing forces, respectively.

The draft mechanism shown is of the rubber mat design which is well known in the art to which this invention pertains. The practice of the invention is not, however, limited to the use of such draft mechanism and a helical spring or other draft mechanism may be substituted therefore. Also, while the draft mechanism shown is of generally annular cross section with the mechanism surrounding the coupler bar stem 21, modifications to such arrangement may be made within the spirit of the invention. The parts just described are substantially identical to corresponding parts in the aforesaid Larsson patent.

In the operation of railway vehicles and in the relative movement of adjacent load-bearing members excessive buffing forces may be exerted which may damage the coupler housing or the relatively movable load-bearing members. In order to' prevent such possibility of damage, the bearing member 18 is affixed to the hollow portion 14 by a plurality of shear bolt assemblies 32 (FIG. 2). The shear bolt assemblies 32 extend radially through openings 33 in the hollow portion 14 and are threaded into threaded openings 34 in the bearing member 18. The shear bolt assemblies 32 are held in locked relationship to the hollow portion 14 and bearing member 18 by a tie wire 35.

The bearing member 18 is normally held in fixed relationship to the hollow portion 14 by the shear bolt assemblies 32. In the event of buffing forces greater than the design load of the shear bolts 32, the shear bolts 32 are sheared, completely or partially, and thus function as an overload release permitting relative axial movement of the bearing member 18 and the hollow portion 14 thereby preventing damage to either bearing member 18 or hollow portion 14.

The shear bolt assemblies 32 each comprises a sleeve member 39 having a head portion 36 and a sleeve portion 37 and a bolt or stud 42 that is designed to be sheared by excessive loads. The head portion 36 of the sleeve member 39 is provided with a transverse opening 38 through which the tie wire 35 extends. The sleeve portion is provided with a threaded interior 40 and the head portion is provided with a smooth bore 41. In the preferred embodiment, the diameter of the bore 41 is substantially equal to the diameter of the crest of the threads on the threaded interior 40.

In order to secure the shear bolt assemblies 32 to the bearing member 18, the stud 42 having a threaded end 43 and an unthreaded head 44 is threaded into the opening 34 in the rear bearing member 18 and the threaded interior 40 of the sleeve 37. Lock washers 51 may be used, if desired. The unthreaded or smooth head 44 of the stud 42 extends into the smooth bore 41 of the head portion 36. The head 44 of the stud 42 is provided with a transverse opening 45 which is in alignment with the opening 38 when the shear bolt assembly is assembled as shown in FIG. 2. The tie wire 35 will thus extend through the openings 38 and 45. The arrangement just described is substantially the same as that disclosed in my aforesaid prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,214. The stud 42 may be provided with a bore 46 to facilitate removal of the sheared portion 47.

In practice, the shear bolts in assemblies according to my aforesaid patent often do not shear cleanly, some of the metal of the bolts being displaced in the axial direction and jamming between the adjacent surface of the hollow portion 14 and bearing member 18. This frequently damages the surfaces of one or both of these parts and makes reassembly difficult. According to the present invention, these difficulties are minimized and damage to the interior of the hollow portion 14 or the exterior surface of bearing member 18 is prevented, by providing the bearing member with a longitudinal groove 48 adjacent the opening 34. For convenience in manufacture, the groove 48 extends on both sides of and around the opening 34, and from the front side 52 to the back side 53 of the bearing member 18. The clearance provided by the grooves prevents jamming of displaced metal between the parts 14 and 18, prevents or minimizes damage to these parts, and eliminates difficulties in reassembly that have been encountered previously. As an alternative embodiment, as shown in FlGS. and 6, the interior of the hollow portion 14 at be provided with a longitudinal groove 49 adjacent the bore 33. The groove 49 may similarly surround and extend on both sides of the bore 33. Thus, either or both of the bearing member 18 and the hollow portion 14 may be provided with longitudinal grooves.

in order to prevent damage or binding between a sheared or partially sheared stud 42 and either the bearing member 18 or the interior surface of the hollow portion 14, the groove 48 or 49, as the case may be, is of sufficient depth to substantially correspond to the projecting end 50 of the sleeve 37 against which the bolt is sheared thereby insuring that the bolt when sheared will shear below the projecting end 50 and within the groove. Thus an irregularly sheared portion 47 will not contact either the interior of the hollow portion 14 or the exterior surface of the bearing member 18. The grooves 48 and 49 are of sufficient length and depth to prevent binding of the sheared portion 47 and the interior wall of the hollow portion 14 or to prevent binding of the sheared portion of the bolt withinthe sleeve 37 with the exterior of the bearing member It can be seen from the foregoing that this invention provides for emergency release of a railway draft mechanism or release of two relatively movable and adjacent load-bearing members which release mechanism does not bind with or damage the surfaces with the result that the sheared bolt is readily removable and the draft mechanism may be readily reassembled for resumed operation.

This invention has been described with reference to the shear bolt assemblies as shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,351,214. It should be understood that the invention may be used equally well with other shear bolts as for example those in Larsson U.S. Pat. No. 2,802 581.

It should be understood that various modifications will become apparent from the foregoing description and may be made without departing from the spirit of the following claims.

lclaim:

1. An overload release mechanism comprising in combination, two adjacent load-carrying members, said members having closely spaced opposed surfaces extending parallel to the direction of the load applied to said members, and a shear bolt connecting the said two members and arranged perpendicularly to said surfaces and to the direction of relative movement of the two members during overload release, one of said loadcarrying members having a groove extending parallel to said direction of relative movement of said members and adjacent said other load-carrying member and said shear bolt, said shear bolt comprising an assembly made up of a sleeve disposed in an opening in one of said members and a stud supported by the sleeve and extending into the other of said members and adapted to be sheared adjacent one end of the sleeve by an excessive load, the said end of the sleeve being disposed in said groove.

2. Railway draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocket containing cushioning means, means in said pocket forwardly of the rear end thereof for backing said cushioning means under buffing forces, said backing means and said housing having opposed, closely adjacent surfaces extending parallel to the direction of said buffing forces, and releasing means normally connecting said backing means to said housing against rearward movement in said pocket under buffing forces, said releasing means comprising a plurality of shear bolts disposed in openings in said housing and extending into said backing means substantially perpendicular to said surfaces, at least one of said surfaces having grooves extending parallel to the direction of said buffing forces and adjacent said openings and providing clearance between said surfaces of said backing means and said housing, each shear bolt comprising an assembly made up of a sleeve disposed in one of said openings and a stud supported by the sleeve and extending into said backing means and adapted to be sheared adjacent one end of the sleeve by an excessive load, the said end of the sleeves being disposed in the groove adjacent thereto.

3. Railway draft rigging according to claim 2 wherein said grooves are formed in the inner surface of said housing.

4. Railway draft rigging according to claim 2 wherein said grooves are formed on the outer surface of said backing means.

5. ln railway draft rigging including a coupler bar and a drawbar having a pocket containing cushioning means, said coupler bar extending rearwardly into said pocket through said cushioning means and supported forwardly thereof in a front bearing fixed to said drawbar, a rear bearing member mounted in said pocket forwardly of the rear end thereof, said rear bearing member backing said cushioning means under buffing forces and being a rear bearing for said coupler bar, a plurality of shear bolt assemblies normally connecting said rear bearing member to said drawbar against rearward movement in said pocket, said shear bolt assemblies extending through said drawbar and into said rear bearing member, each shear bolt assembly comprising a sleeve supported by said drawbar and a stud supported by the sleeve and extending into said rear bearing member, said stud being adapted to be sheared adjacent one end of said sleeve by an excessive load, at least one of said rear bearing member and said pocket having a groove surrounding each of the openings for said shear bolt assemblies, said grooves being adjacent the other of said rear bearing member and said pocket and extending parallel to the direction of movement of said rear bearing member under excessive load, the said ends of the sleeves adjacent which the studs are adapted to be sheared being disposed in said grooves. 

1. An overload release mechanism comprising in combination, two adjacent load-carrying members, said members having closely spaced opposed surfaces extending parallel to the direction of the load applied to said members, and a shear bolt connecting the said two members and arranged perpendicularly to said surfaces and to the direction of relative movement of the two members during overload release, one of said load-carrying members having a groove extending parallel to said direction of relative movement of said members and adjacent said other load-carrying member and said shear bolt, said shear bolt comprising an assembly made up of a sleeve disposed in an opening in one of said members and a stud supported by the sleeve and extending into the other of said members and adapted to be sheared adjacent one end of the sleeve by an excessive load, the said end of the sleeve being disposed in said groove.
 2. Railway draft rigging comprising a housing having a pocket containing cushioning means, means in said pocket forwardly of the rear end thereof for backing said cushioning means under buffing forces, said backing means and said housing having opposed, closely adjacent surfaces extending parallel to the direction of said buffing forces, and releasing means normally connecting said backing means to said housing against rearward movement in said pocket under buffing forces, said releasing means comprising a plurality of shear bolts disposed in openings in said housing and extending into said backing means substantially perpendicular to said surfaces, at least one of said surfaces having grooves extending parallel to the direction of said buffing forces and adjacent said openings and providing clearance between said surfaces of said backing means and said housing, each shear bolt comprising an assembly made up of a sleeve disposed in one of said openings and a stud supported by the sleeve and extending into said backing means and adapted to be sheared adjacent one end of the sleeve by an excessive load, the said end of the sleeves being disposed in the groove adjacent thereto.
 3. Railway draft rigging according to claim 2 wherein said grooves are formed in the inner surface of said housing.
 4. Railway draft rigging according to claim 2 wherein said grooves are formed on the outer surface of said backing means.
 5. In railway draft rigging including a coupler bar and a drawbar having a pocket containing cushioning means, said coupler bar extending rearwardly into said pocket through said cushioning means and supported forwardly thereof in a front beaRing fixed to said drawbar, a rear bearing member mounted in said pocket forwardly of the rear end thereof, said rear bearing member backing said cushioning means under buffing forces and being a rear bearing for said coupler bar, a plurality of shear bolt assemblies normally connecting said rear bearing member to said drawbar against rearward movement in said pocket, said shear bolt assemblies extending through said drawbar and into said rear bearing member, each shear bolt assembly comprising a sleeve supported by said drawbar and a stud supported by the sleeve and extending into said rear bearing member, said stud being adapted to be sheared adjacent one end of said sleeve by an excessive load, at least one of said rear bearing member and said pocket having a groove surrounding each of the openings for said shear bolt assemblies, said grooves being adjacent the other of said rear bearing member and said pocket and extending parallel to the direction of movement of said rear bearing member under excessive load, the said ends of the sleeves adjacent which the studs are adapted to be sheared being disposed in said grooves. 